What Do You Believe?

Boise Christian Fellowship Doctrinal Statement

We are an independent non-denominational Bible study fellowship of believers in and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not ask that those who fellowship with us adopt these beliefs, but only that they respect that they are the beliefs of those who lead the group. If you find that you passionately disagree with some of them, we invite you to find a Bible study group that more accurately reflects your beliefs rather than seek to change ours. That being said, we strive to show the same respect to those who hold different beliefs but still choose to fellowship with us. We choose to focus on the main thing we have in common -- a saving faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God -- rather than the minor differences that will exist in any group of believers.

We believe in the Triunity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and is the God of the Old Testament as well as the New. He is a God of love, a God of justice, a God of mercy, and a God of order. He is a God of three personages, but of a single substance. Although we cannot comprehend how this can be, we know that we are not able to comprehend all that the God of Creation is, and accept His triune nature as set forth in the Bible.

We believe the Bible is the infallible preserved word of God. We do not believe that God has left us only with our feeling, instincts, and emotions as a our guides through this life. He has preserved His word for us in the Bible to be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We seek to compare our beliefs, our lives, and our choices against the word of God and bring these things in line with it, rather than attempt to reinterpret the Bible to match our lives. It is the measuring stick of truth, righteousness, and wisdom.

We trust in the saving grace of Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. While we are called to do good works for the Kingdom of God, our salvation is not dependent upon these works. Good works are an evidence of a saved soul, not the means to its salvation. Salvation is not dependent upon baptism or saying the "sinner's prayer". Salvation comes when a person authentically accepts Jesus Christ's saving sacrifice for them, confesses their sinfulness before Him, and turns their life over to Him as their Lord.

We believe in baptism and other sacraments. The sacraments are meant to be reminders and signs to us of our commitment to Jesus Christ, not saving ordinances. We believe in baptism in water by immersion for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as an outward sign and token to themselves and the world around them.

We believe in spiritual gifts. The spiritual gifts of the New Testament are still available to us today as disciples of Jesus Christ. We seek to help believers identify and learn to function in their spiritual giftings. We also believe God to be a God of order who would not interupt His spirit speaking through a teacher or small group leader by anothers' use of the gift of tongues, prophecy or word of knowledge.

We believe in praising God through music and singing. We view singing to the Lord as a form of prayer and communion with Him. We believe this can be done through both traditional hymns, contemporary music, as well as a variety of musical instruments. We do not sing for our own entertainment or enjoyment, but rather to honor and worship our God who is indeed worthy of our honor and worship.

The Body of Christ. We believe that every individual believer has a part to play in the larger body of Christ. We seek to help individuals identify what God has gifted them to do and help them find a fulfilling place to serve.

End Times. We believe in the literal pre-millenial return of Jesus Christ, the rapture of the church prior to a seven year tribulation, and the millenial reign of Jesus Christ.

We invite your questions about other beliefs we may hold which may not be addressed here. Send your questions to:

boisechristianfellowship@gmail.com